Weinberg’s: A Bakery on the South Shore

In the spirit of summer fun, I want to take time to recognize a food find down in Hull off of Nantasket Beach. Back when I was growing up, Weinberg’s was a fairly traditional Jewish bakery with challah, black and white rye, and danishes. It went through a rough patch and then was sold — its bagels were once served to President Clinton — and has been subsequently sold again, this time to Joseph DeVito.

I love what DiVito, a former veteran of local and municipal government, has done with Weinberg’s. He has maintained the quality of the bakery’s classic Boston bagels, more crunchy and less doughy than New York bagels, and offers a highly-competitive challah, a less sweet counterpart to the sublime Cheryl Ann’s of South Brookline. The Fabulous Dana consistently declares the bagels “the best in America.”  But now DiVito is also selling Italian pastries, cannolis and lobster tails, as well as lunch items. I’ve yet to try his gelato, a dessert I’ve always thought Hull was highly in need.

DiVito is doing what I always want food entrepeneurs to do: build on the tradition of the past but add quality, freshness and ingenuity.